Spring cushion having the load supporting portion reinforced by fabric



Oct. 13, 1953 B. c. GOULD SPRING CUSHION HAVING THE LOAD SUPPORTING PORTION REINFORCED BY FABRIC Filed April 25, 1949 INVENTOR. ,Byrarz C GOV/Q if/aFA/I/s Patented Oct. 13, 1953 SPRING CUSHION HAVING THE LOAD SUP- PORTING PORTION REINFORCED BY FABRIC Byron C- Gould, Detroit, Mich., assignor to The Murray Corporation of America, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application April 25, 1949, Serial No. 89,476

3 Claims. (01. 155-179) This invention relates to spring cushions, and particularly a spring cushion having a load-supporting portion made from zigzag spring strips which are interconnected by fabric strips inwardly from the front and rear edges ofthe cushion, and to the method of applying the fabric material to the spring strips.

The cushion of the present invention is constructed from spring strips of the zigzag type made of wire bent back and forth to provide adj acent oppositely disposed loops joined by straight portions. The spring strips are preferably arched along their longitudinal dimension to provide a set on a curve of short radius to resist downward deflection when the spring strips are mounted in a frame with the ends extended to provide a seating or load-carrying portion disposed on an arc of large radius. After a plurality of the spring strips are mounted in a frame, it has been the practice heretofore to interconnect the ad jacent spring strips at spaced points with wire clips so as to distribute the load over the loadsupporting portion of the cushion. Difficulty was experienced in various assemblies when attempting to produce a proper and desirable contour to the seating area of the spring strips. Various attempts were made to supplement the load-carrying qualities of the spring strips by braces, additional spring supports and the like to produce a proper contour.

These difficulties were overcome when practicing the present invention which embodies the application of a layer of fabric material at the central portion of the seating area of the spring strips. A layer of the fabric material was applied to both sides of the assembled seating portion of the cushion and joined together in a suitable manner, preferably by an adhesive material. After the spring cushion was constructed, a layer of the fabric material was laid'upon a fiat or contoured surface and the cushion turned over to have the load-supporting portion rest upon the material. A second strip was placed upon the inside of the spring strips aligned with the first layer of material with an adhesive disposed therebetween. A pad, roller, or other suitable implement was then applied to the material for bonding the two layers of material together between the spring strips and about the convolutions thereof. Substantial rigidity was provided to the spring strip at the points in which the fabric layer was applied, and a unison action was produced to the plurality of strips when a load was applied at various points of the seating.

Accordingly, the main objects of this invention are to utilize a fabric material at the central loadsupporting portion of a seating area constructed from zigzag spring strips for tensioning the area and strip and controlling the contour thereof when loaded; to form a spring cushion from zigzag spring strips and provide a tension to and interconnection for the strips by layers of fabric material applied to both sides of the seating area of the cushion at the central load-supporting portion thereof with the material intimately bonded together on both sides thereof about the wires of the strips; to control the individual twisting of the straight portion between loops of the strips and the deflection and contour produced in adjacent strips over an area in the load-supporting portion of a cushion by confining the central area of the supporting portion between layers of fabric material which are bonded together thereabout; and in general to provide a predetermined contour to a cushion made of zigzag spring strips by the application of fabric material to the strips which is simple in construction and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out, or will become apparent when referring for a better understanding of the invention to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of a spring cushion made of zigzag spring strips interconnected by layers of fabric material in a manner conforming to the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 22 thereof. 7

The cushion construction herein illustrated follows that of the copending application of Nicholas Wolofski, Serial No. 55,633, filed October 20, 1948, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The springs H) are made of wire bent back and forth to provide oppositely disposed adjacent loops I l and I2 joined by straight portions I3. In the illustrated construction, a front end support is provided to the seating portion M of each spring strip by the V-shaped portion l5 extending downwardly therefrom. The rear end of each spring strip is bent to provide an arcuate downwardly and inwardly disposed portion It, the lower end of which is attached to a base spring 11 of suitable construction. The front end of the V portion I5 in like manner is supported on the frame H.

The frame I! herein illustrated is made of wire, but it is understood that the frame may be made contour to the seating portion Ill and controlling the movement of the strips when the cushion is occupied and the automotiirewehibld-is'edriven over rough terrain.

When a load is applied to the seating portion 14 of the spring strips, they are defleetedsam amount conforming to the-.distributiotn,ofirthea load which is spread over the adjacent stripsa Any deflection to the elementsnf the,strip,israc-.

companied by torsional strains in the straight portion I3 of the strip and by the spreadingrors contracting of the loops in the strips. The layers of:fabric; materials 22qand-23icontrol. the.-tension on-theestrips ,and the ideflectionof itherindividual loopsein the: loaded area.-,=of;, the: seating, surface. Thee material. being securely bondedtogether causeszall .ofithe stripsqto react to-theloadxacrcss the transverse; dimension of;,the;seating;area-.-an amountpropprtional :to. the distanceof ,therstrips fromzgthexpointf of application: of the load taken in. consideration .with; thecoamount of load applied.

One: method. which: was: utilized for attaching thetfabric'layerszziandizfl :tothettop and bottom of the iseatingviportion; was: to; place alayer of fabric material; 27; uponia-liiat orrcontouredsurface 1 and app y-iaisuitable; adhesive :to the: upper surfaceithereof. The;spring1unitz after assembly is then: placedvuponrthe .layer ofz,,fabric,-material zl against the adhesive onatheosurfaee thereofand a; second layer: of efabric: material ,2 3. is then:p1ac,ed upon the :inner or. upper; surface of .the sprin strips and adhered to :thefabrid layer: ,2 2 2131181 8:- beneath; A force applying device-;- such;asa pad orroller or the like is appliedzto'theifabrie ma:- terial 23 to bond the two layers intimatelyrtoieach other-- ab'0ut the-.-Wire-L of: the; loops: and straight portions-of thestrips and.inatheespacesebetiveen the stripss- The ends oflthe material;- 22:;andi23 are preferably: secured to each'iother; about ;.the bordenwire at the sides :ofth'e seating arearonpne layer may be lapped over thebordenwireiontoithe other layer and adl'ieredtheretor.

What-isclaimed is:

13* Iir a spring-unit: for -a-icushioma plurality-39 zigzag spring sti ips formirig arseatingiarea a border wire extending around: said .seatingganea, means for -securing' the border wire-atoztheseating area at the front and back thereof, a top and Jooite tom-1ayer of' fabric material extendingsacrossithe transverse dimension of 1 said: seating :areaa in;-

wardly a substantial distance from the front and rear edges thereof at the central main loadsupporting portion of the area leaving a substantial portion of the front and rear ends of the strips unconfined, adhesive material securing said layers of fabric material to eachlother in unit,.relation at all points between the -=convoliitidns of the spring strips and the areas between the strips, and means for securing the ends of said fabric material to the border wire at the sides of the seatingportiorrof tiiecushion.

2'5-1Y1 a spring ;;unit for a cushion, a plurality of zigzag springstrips having a top seating area, a Veshanedisupportinggportion at the front and an inwandlyadfl'ected zsupporting portion at the rear, a frame to which a plurality of strips are secured tosprovideiaresiliently supported seating area, a

border wire extending around said area at the frontrandsides thereof and secured thereto, a listing strip joining the \A-shaped supporting portions :of. the stripseto the. seating-,:area,-inwardly from athe front edgerthereof, artop andabottom layer of: fabric material for the central portion ofisaid seatingarearinwardlypf\the point oficom nectionwith the listing ;strip,-therewith;r adv hesivec-material:forrsecuring said-fabrics .in: intiw mate relation aboutthe; wireof said'gzigzag spring strips-- :andzthe 1 areas-.: therebetween; for unitin said strips-rat the;mainrloadesuppprtinggpprtion ofztheseating area,- and meansw-forpsecuringahe edges; of said fabric -materialrto. each-other. about said-borderuwire at the sidesofasaidrseating area.

3; The-method 10:": uniting aiplurality of. zigzag spring-.stripsformingithe'ibodygsupportingmprtion .of abseat and 1 havineraazbordern wirefisecured thereto, said method includingthe steps ofrapply; ingia first strip offahric material-tosaid:pluralit imposition. to; dverlieethe. topgthereofrin: an. area inwardly ofsthe frontcandtrearredgesgiof; said iplue rality, applying" a ,second; strip-to: said; plurality in position: to underlie :zthe, firsttmerrtionertstrip and the .portionofi said pluralityscoyeredrbyythe first:mentioned:strip,:.bondingthelayersrtogether imintimatezrelationbetween .the: convolutionssof the :wires. of said plurality :andis eeuringc tliezends of the fabric materialzatc eachnsideeof' the phrrality- -to 1 each other and: about artheo bDI'd6I;,WiiIl-) at the sidetof the framed BYRONaC; GOUIEDEJ.

References Gitedsdn; the-file; .of, :this, patent UNITED- STATES PATENTS 

